The Dino-Charged Samurai
by SepticAbzies
Summary: Riley Griffin reunites with Emily, an old childhood friend of his, who has a surprising declaration. / AKA The Dino Charge Rangers finally find the true owner of the Ankylo Zord. / PRS-PRDC crossover
1. 1: Day of Destiny

A/N: Hey, guys. This is an idea I've had for quite a while, and I really like it. Keep in mind, however, that this is fanmade and is in no way part of any canon series.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Power Rangers, sadly. Saban does. I just own the story plot.

~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~

 _"During a fight to the death, Emily discovers a strange crystal-like object that has strange, mystical, but very strong powers."_

 **Power Rangers: Dino Charge**

 _ **Episode 1:**_ _The Dino-Charged Samurai_

 **Chapter 1:** Day of Destiny

It was about three to four weeks after the Legendary War, and Mike and Emily had retreated back to the latter's ranch, hoping and looking forward to living the rest of their lives in peace now that the Armada was gone for good.

Mike was adjusting to country life quite well. He still yearned for the city at times _**(it's what he grew up with)**_ , but he enjoying being on the ranch with Emily.

Right now, Mike was inside the house, helping a gradually-recovering Serena eat her lunch. Emily was outside, grooming the horses out in the field.

"There you go, Cocoa," Emily said, gently tickling the said horse underneath its chin. "All nice and pretty."

Emily was almost knocked off her feet by a sudden, small explosion in the forest.

But the noises didn't stop there. Someone, or something, was rustling around in there, so close to her house, and it was making her nervous. She had to go investigate.

So she unsheathed her Spin Sword, not morphing, and called, "Mike!"

As soon as she said it, Mike came rushing out of the house, Spin Sword also in hand and not morphed. "Jii just called," he stated, placing his Samuraizer in his back pocket, "The Gap Sensor just detected some monster-ish life sign in this forest, and Jii wants us to check it out."

Emily nodded, and together, they entered the foresst on the defensive, but also ready t go on the offensive if and/or when needed.

Eventually, in a clearing through the trees, the two spotted a black-cloaked, humanoid figure hovering over a large boulder.

"What is it doing?" Emily mouthed to her boyfriend, who shrugged and nodded at the figure. Emily understood the gesture and the two came out of hiding.

"It's here," the figure said, in a deep male-sounding voice. "I did it! I found one! The boss will be so pleased!"

"Hey!" Mike called, successfully getting its attention. When it turned around, it seemed a little surprised to see them.

"Wha...? Who are you? Stay out of my business!"

"Whatever you're looking for, you won't find it," Emily firmly stated.

"Oh, but I will. What I can will survive, but you won't," the figure replies. "Once Master Sledge has all ten of the Energems, he can rule the entire galaxy!"

Mike and Emily shared a quick worried and confused look. The Nighlock have never been fcused on _**galactic domination**_ before. The earth, yeah, but never the entire _**galaxy**_.

Not to mention the Nighlock always reeked of Sanzu River water. This thing didn't.

Since it wasn't a Nighlock, the Samurai weren't involved, which meant they didn't have to fight him. They could retreat and leave him to his business. But if they retreated now, this guy would be able to cause as much destruction as he wanted, especially to Emily's ranch, seeing as how close it was. Now that they had met him, they had no choice. Mike knew that, and so did Emily.

There would be consequences later, but they couldn't worry about that now.

Mike and Emily turned back to face their opponent, glaring at him, with no intention of playing nice.

"So, you're staying?" The figure said, "Very well," and he threw off his cloak, revealing a monster made completely out of ice, with the appearance of a humanoid saber-tooth tiger, all colored white. "Then so am I!"

Mike slung his sword over his shoulder as the two Samurai got into fighting stances. However, if they were going to get involved, they had to let this guy attack first.

Because _**"being too close to Emily's ranch"**_ and _**"Jii told us to investigate"**_ were not valid excuses, no matter what anyone said.

"Take this!" And the ice monster made the first shot, with Mike blocking the laser blast with his sword as Emily ducked for cover.

Mike charged first, though most of his attacks hardly made a scratch.

"What the-?" Mike quickly noticed this. "Em, I need some of your rock power over here!"

Emily quickly rushed over. His blade was made from trees, but hers was made from rocks. If there was a sword that culd cut through this thing's body, it was hers.

But to no avail. Not even Emily's sword would work.

"What?" Emily exclaimed. "What is he made of?!"

"Ice is my guess," Mike said, both of them struggling to hold their own, much less have each other's backs. "If Jayden or Lauren were here, this guy would be automatic toast!"

"Toast? As in fire?" The ice monster replies. "I name is _**Iceage**_! I prefer a freezer burn instead!"

He slashed Emily across her chest, forcing her to crash into the boulder behind her. Upon impact, the rockface shattered, and the pieces fell, including an aqua-colored crystal, revealing a dinosaur face fossilized.

Emily's vision began to clear up, and she glanced up in time to see Mike getting utterly mauled by the ice monster, Iceage, apparently.

Her heart jumped and she struggled to to get up. She grabbed her sword, but upon attempting to pick it up, she found it wouldn't budge.

Iceage stopped his attack Mike, whose shirt collar was in Iceage's hand, and the two glanced over in time to witness aqua-colored energy surge throughout Emily and her sword.

Emily watched as the aqua crystal her sword was touching turned her said Spin Sword into...an upgraded sword.

"What?!" Iceage exclaimed. "She bonded with an Energem?!"

Iceage threw Mike to the side, who turned out to be in too much pain to get up. So, he was forced to just watch _**(which, as it turned out, was all he really needed to do)**_.

"Enough messing around!" the monster yelled. "Give me that Energem!"

Emily slipped the aqua crystal _**(Energem?)**_ into her pocket and lifted up her new sword, ready to fight. "I'm not messing around," she said, giving him a little smirk, but meaning every word. "You'll have to take it from me."

 _ **'What's going on?'**_ Emily asked herself. _**'I feel a surge of power. It feels a lot stronger than my Samurai powers. What exactly is that crystal?'**_

The ice monster charged first, in anger, but Mike watched as Emily calmly blocked every strike, and retaliated in a flurry of aqua-colored slashes.

And just watching her, Mike solely wondered where Emily got this much power, and how.

Sure, he was her boyfriend and all, and he knew her better than anyone, but she's never possessed this much power before.

After another fierce attack from Emily, Iceage grabbed his cloak and backed off. "Fine, you win!" The monster exclaimed. "I shall retreat!"

And Iceage was gone in the blink of an eye.

When the scene was clear, Emily got a good look at her new sword.

It was different, but it was powerful, even moreso than, if not the same level as, the Super Bullzooka. It had a yellow blade, a black handle, and a black and yellow hilt. It still had a Japanese-style blade, but Emily could not get over how strong it was compared to her Spin Sword.

Mike came up beside her, "That was amazing, Em, but...how'd that happen?"

Emily took the crystal out of her pocket. "This thing...Energem, I think he called it...I know this is gonna sound weird, but...it seemed to sense that I was in trouble."

The crystal in Emily's hand began to faintly glow, and an image of the crystal bonding with a dinosaur _**(an ankylosaurus, she believed)**_ breifly flashed through her mind.

Emily stumbled back, and Mike held his arm out automatically in worry, to catch if she did fall.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Y-Yeah..."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, just...a little weirded out."

Mike dialed Jii's number as Emily took a picture of the fossil.

"Jii? Yeah, we finished our investigation. How'd it go? Well...long story short...it's a bit weird...No, it means that we'll explain later. Yeah. Okay, bye."

Emily said nothing for the rest of the day.

~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~L~E~G~E~N~D~A~R~Y~~G~U~A~R~D~I~A~N~S~

It was about three months later before they were able to have the meeting Jii and scheduled at the Shiba House, due to everyone being in different places and only being able to return at different times.

"The test results have concluded that the ice monster named Iceage is _**not**_ a Nighlock," Jii announced as all seven Samurai sat around the table.

Mike and Emily hung their heads.

"That's what we thought," Mike muttered.

"It's not a Nighlock," Kevin stated, reminding Mike of the Samurai rules, "which means we're not involved in whatever he's doing."

"He was too close to the ranch," Emily confessed. "I probably would have fought him anyways."

"Besides, he also said something about galactic domination," Mike added. "Not to mention he was crazy strong."

Jayden's attention was immediately caught by this. "How strong? On a scale of one to ten, from Mooger to Xandred?"

"About an 7, Deker-strong," was Mike's honest answer. When he saw the disbelief on the others' faces, he had to continue, "Not joking. Our Spin Swords wouldn't cut him, and he was made of _**ice**_! It wasn't until that crystal we found bonded with Emily that we finally had an edge on him!"

"Crystal?" Mia repeated.

"Explanation," was Lauren's calm order.

Emily merely held up the crystal from a strong necklace around her neck.

As the others leaned in to get a closer look, Mike said, "Apparently, it's called an Energem, but that's not the weird part. It's like it's attracted to her or something. It completely ignores me, but it goes utterly crazy around Emily."

"Well," Mia pointed out, "you did say it bonded with her, right?"

"Yeah," Mike confirmed. "Not to mention the massive power boost it gave her during the fight. We were in trouble, and it chose her."

"Hold on!" Kevin swiftly interrupted. "It _**'chose'**_ her? Are you saying this thing, this _**'Energem'**_ , is _**alive**_?"

"Technically, yes," Antonio replied, "because inanimate objects don't have souls or free will, or have anything else that humans do."

"This is a crystal," Kevin argued back. "It is an inanimate object."

Mike couldn't help but point out, "It could be alive, and it couldn't be alive. We don't know at this point. This Energem could have chosen me, but it didn't. Instead, it chose Emily. Why?" Mike shrugged. "No idea, but all it appearss to be doing is _**helping**_ her, so it can't be a parasite or anything like that."

"Then, what is it?" Jayden asked, immediately silencing the group and their argument. "That's what we need to figure out first and foremost. Find out what this Energem is, the full extent of its power, and why it _**'chose'**_ Emily."

"I'll do it myself," Emily automatically stated outright, causing the others to look over at her worriedly.

"You sure sure?" Mia asked her cautiously.

But her resolve was steadfast.

"It _**is**_ bonded with me, isn't it?" Emily made a valid point. "Out of all of us, in that sense, I deserve the truth the most. And I really do want it..." Emily's eyes wandered back down to the Energem around her neck.

"We know you do," Lauren gently advised, as she and Emily locked eyes. "But be careful, Em. You may learn something you wish you never had."

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~

A/N: Do review, please. **If you guys have any ideas you want me to consider adding, please PM me.** A preview for the next chapter:

 _ **Chapter 2:**_ _"The Aqua Energem"_

 _"The Dino Charge Rangers finally find the true owner of the Ankylo Zord."_


	2. 2: The Aqua Energem

A/N: Hey, guys. This is an idea I've had for quite a while, and I really like it. Keep in mind, however, that this is fanmade and is in no way part of any canon series.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Power Rangers, sadly. Saban does. I just own the story plot.

~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~

 _"The Dino Charge Rangers finally discover the true owner of the Ankylo Zord."_

 **Power Rangers:** _ **Dino Charge**_

 **Episode 1:** The Dino-Charged Samurai

 _ **Chapter 2:**_ _The Aqua Energem_

Emily rode on her rollerblades into the neighboring town of Amber Beach a day later, her mission first and foremost in her mind.

She found the crystal in a dinosaur fossil, an ankylosaurus fossil to be exact _**(Antonio helped her with her research)**_. And since Amber Beach not only had a dinosaur museum, but was also not far from her ranch, Emily decided to start her search there.

Now, only armed with a shoulder bag filled essentials and a couple changes of clothes, and her rollerblading gear, she had finally arrived.

She deeply inhaled and then exhaled, attempting to get rid of the knot in her stomach. She couldn't help but feel that this would be the only city she would need to travel to.

Jumping over a man tying his shoes in the middle of the sidewalk, then swerving to avoid a group of kids playing jump-rope, Emily found herself enjoying the open air. And this air was clean, unlike the ranch air that smelled of horses and trees, unlike the Panorama City air that smelled of fish and salt water, unlike the air in that same city that smelled of Sanzu River water whenever a Nighlock had invaded. She'd always enjoy those smells _**(the third not so much)**_ , but it was nice to smell air that had no smell at all.

She closed her eyes briefly, enjoying the peaceful moment _**(and fully appreciating the fact that the sidewalk was clear of any people and objects at the moment)**_. She took another deep breath, enjoying the peace, before it was ruined.

"Watch out!" A male voice _**(that was strangely familiar)**_ called out to her.

Emily immediately opened her hazel eyes and just narrowly misses the telephone pole that surprised her when she did.

However, her little stunt had a price: falling down and skinning her bare shin.

"Oww..." she muttered, as the boy _**(wearing green)**_ who had called out to her ran over to help her.

Kneeling beside her, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Better than if I had into that pole, that's for sure," she truthfully, wittingly, replied. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he replied, right before the two finally connected eyes.

Silence immediately followed.

 _ **She knew this boy.**_ She couldn't remember where, but she knew it from somewhere.

He couldn't place his finger on it, but this girl's face looked _**very familiar**_.

"Riley?" She took the plunge and asked.

When he nodded, a huge smile broke out across her face. When it did, Riley added, "And there's only one person I know with a smile like that. Hey, Emily."

His smile was added to the mix as Emily gave him a tight hug. He lightly chuckled and returned her hug.

 _ **Riley Griffin**_ , age 17, grew up in her neighborhood, on another ranch not far from her own, wit his mother, older brother Matt, and dog Rubik. He was one year younger than her, but he was _**super smart**_ and _**really**_ good at fencing. She first met him when she needed tutoring in math one year _**(it was the year Serena got sick, so Emily's grades falling was reasonable and the least of her concerns)**_ , and during these sessions, the two bonded, eventually becoming best friends, discovering more similarities between them as time progressed. During their days as friends, they protected each other, and she was able to convince him that his _**brain**_ was his greatest weapon, just as he was able to convince her that _**her**_ greatest strength was her _**kindness**_. Eventually, she had to leave him for her Samurai duties, but _**(after secretly telling him the truth about her family)**_ he understood and volunteered to check up on Serena when she could not. Emily hasn't seen him since, because when she had returned with Mike, she sadly learned that he had been restricted to his own house once his mother realized what he was doing _**(she was afraid that he had gotten into serious trouble because of her, and she felt guilty about it)**_.

 _ **Emily Suzuki**_ , age 18, was a _**modern day, Japanese-descended Samurai growing up on a ranch**_ , while he was a _**quiet braniac who didn't really like getting his hands dirty**_ , so neither of them really fit in anywhere, not to mention they both stood out at school, him as the freaky genius boy who skipped a grade, and Emily as the girl who was stupid and couldn't do anything right. That was what drove him to volunteer to tutor her in the first place _**(that they were so similar)**_ , and he quickly learned that she was _**almost**_ as smart as _**him**_. She just couldn't really show it because she had a lot going on at home. But she opened up a lot when around him because she was able to push everything else out of her mind _**(**_ **"everything else"** _ **meaning "**_ **everything except for Riley"** _ **)**_ ,and he was the one who encouraged that. He had helped her with a lot of things, but _**she**_ was the one who got him into fencing, his number one way of blowing off steam. After she told him her family secret, he was intruiged and requested for more information about the Samurai life. From then on, she taught him everything her mother taught her _**(and Serena)**_. He was sad when she had to leave, but he understood and took care of her ill older sister Serena while she was away _**(something Emily's own mother was very grateful for)**_ , at least until his mom _**(who didn't want him getting sick too)**_ found out and pulled him out before he fell ill too.

It was such a relief to see each other again, both safe and in one piece _**(especially on Riley's end; Emily had said she was going off to fight demons from the netherworld)**_.

"I'm sorry you got in trouble," Emily swiftly apologized, her departure still fresh in their minds.

"It's fine," he shrugged it off, as he helped her stand up. "Fancy meeting you here, though. Why are you in Amber Beach?"

"I'm going the to dinosaur musuem," Emily swiftly replied.

"Just for fun, or...?" Riley trailed off. He had a feeling he already knew what she was here for. He just didn't know what it was yet.

"No, I'm here...for some answers."

 _ **He knew it**_ , but something told him it was deeper than that. So he took the plunge and dug deeper.

"Answers, huh? I work at the museum, so if you tell me what you need answered, maybe I could help," he offered.

Emily looked all around and saw no one in sight but her and Riley. When she was confident they were alone, she spoke softly, saying, "Answers about this."

She pulled out the aqua crystal _**(on a necklace around her neck)**_ from under her shirt, and she showed it to him.

Immediately, his breath seemed to disappear at the mere sight of it.

Riley swallowed thickly, knowing exactly what this was. She didn't. Otherwise, she wouldn't be seeking answers.

"Please keep this a secret, though," Emily pleaded, her voice at a whisper. But Riley was most drawn to how scared she sounded. He's heard her like this before, but the overwhelming urge to help her was still as strong as ever.

"Don't worry, I will," Riley truthfully swore. "Listen, I can't help you with this, actually, but I do know someone who can."

"You do?" she asked, as she placed the crystal back under her shirt.

"Do you trust me?"

"Always," was her immediately answer.

Riley smiled. "Follow me."

 _ **~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~L~E~G~E~N~D~A~R~Y~~G~U~A~R~D~I~A~N~S~**_

"Break time~" Shelby stretched after she landed _**(from sliding down the slide)**_ on the floor of the Dino Lab. The guys _**(sans Riley)**_ were already down here, relaxing just as she intended to do, Koda eating his fourth Bronto Burger, and Kendall was here too, running some experiments on the Chargers.

So far, it was a normal day. Work at the cafe and museum, but no monsters sent by Sledge _**(but it was also making them nervous, since Chase had blown up their E-Tracer and Fury had taken the Ptera Charger a couple of days ago, and they hadn't heard from Sledge, Poisandra, or Fury since)**_.

"Long day, huh, Shelby?" Tyler asked, and the woman nodded.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

Tyler wobbled a bit _**(Chase quickly held his arm out to catch him, but Tyler had quickly recovered)**_ , before answering, "Chase is teaching me how to skateboard. So far, it's going great."

"If you call falling flat on your face two, almost three, times now _**'great'**_ ," Chase said, gentle sarcasm dripping into his voice, "then, yes, it is going just fabulously. You need to learn how to balance first, mate."

Chase may only have been teasing, and Tyler and Shelby knew that, but they also knew that their New Zealand friend only meant the best.

"I agree," Shelby said. "Well, good luck," and Tyler smiled at her before focusing his attention back on his balance _**(at least, his attempt to balance on Chase's skateboard)**_.

This scene was interrupted by their fifth member sliding down the tunnel.

"Hey, Riley," Tyler cheerfully greeted.

"Hey, guys," Riley's voice was soft, almost as though he was hiding something and felt guilty about it. This is what drove Koda, Kendall, and Keeper to also give the Green Ranger their attention _**(and they knew Riley knew all of this. He wasn't stupid)**_.

"Something wrong?" Koda asked.

"Depends on what you all define as _**'wrong'**_ ," Riley's answer confused them _**(and he also knew that)**_ , so he continued, "I'll need everyone's attention for this. Keeper, Miss Morgan? Okay."

Riley tracked back to the slide and knocked on one of the metal walls three times. A few seconds later, another person slid down the tunnel and landed beside him.

"Riley, you _**know**_ you're not supposed to show the base to strangers," Kendall immediately protested, as the said stranger _**(a blonde-haired, brown eyes girl just as tall as Riley, maybe shorter)**_ crossed over to the first five Energems' charging station. Everyone but Riley tensed up when they saw this, as if afraid she was going to steal the Energems.

All watching the girl, they heard Riley firmly state, "You guys can relax, okay? She's _**not**_ a stranger."

"How do you know we can trust her?" Tyler quietly asked, getting the feeling that Riley was probably right about this girl, that she really _**wasn't**_ an enemy _**(but there was never any harm in being cautious)**_. "I mean, you are aware, Riley, that she could be working for Sledge, right?" Shelby and Kendall nodded in agreement.

"She's not working for Sledge," Riley stated, not a shred of doubt in his voice. "She's one of my oldest friends, and I trust her. I brought her down here because she has something I believe we're _**all**_ interested in."

"What do you mean?" And Chase wasn't the only one who was confused.

Still watching the girl, Riley replied with, "Just keep watching, _hotshot_."

The girl appeared to be entranced by the Energems, but she seemed to be utterly mystified by Shelby's pink Energem _**(for some unknown reason to them)**_. She took one slow step forward: nothing. Step two: nothing.

Step three: the Energems began to glow, and everyone's interest _**(except Riley's)**_ was immediately peaked.

"Strange," Keeper explained. "The Energems only do this when they sense another Energem nearby."

Shelby finally connected the dots. "She has an Energem."

Riley nodded, happy that at least one person had figured it out. Koda asked, "But what color?"

"I don't think that matters," Tyler said, almost unable to contain his excitement. "What's important is that we actually have another Energem."

However, Koda's question was answered when the girl pulled out a necklace from under her shirt, revealing her also glowing Energem.

She looked at her Energem, then at the others, and then back to hers. "No way."

"Aqua," Shelby muttered, answering Koda's question. "She's the Aqua Ranger."

"And the true owner of the Ankylo Zord," Chase finished.

"Riley?" The girl suddenly spoke. "You mind explaining why these crystals look and act exactly like mine?" She held up her Energem, with a puzzled look on her face.

"Kendall explains it better than I do," Riley truthfully replied.

The others quickly took note of how _**relaxed**_ Riley sounded _**(and was)**_ around this girl.

Kendall stepped up when her name was mentioned, and the girl turned to her.

"I am Kendall Morgan," came the polite introduction, "the owner of the museum and technical mastermind behind this underground operation. 65 million years ago, Keeper here entrusted ten powerful crystals to ten different dinosaurs, before they went extinct. These crystals are called Energems, one of which has bonded with you." The girl held up the Aqua Energem tied to her necklace. "Yes, the one you hold is the Aqua Energem, bonded with the ankylosaurus. As you can see, we have found five Energems before yours, and the five people that stand before you are their respective owners."

The girl was quiet for a minute, before asking, "Riley?" with a slightly concerned look across her face _**(with a hint of betrayal)**_.

It wasn't just Riley. _**She**_ cared about him too.

Kendall nodded, "Especially Riley. Now, the Energems also give its holders various abilities, such as enhanced physical abilities." The girl immediately seemed to be thinking about something. "They can also give you the ability to morph."

"Morph?" the girl asked, suddenly very intruiged. "You guys are also Power Rangers?"

Kendall and the others were taken back by the suddenly question. "Yes, but how did you know-?"

The girl reached into her back pocket and held oout a thing _**(they weren't exactly sure what it was)**_ shaped like a triangle, colored yellow and black, with the Japanese kanji for earth on it. It suddenly formed into a little metallic ape _**(that was also moving)**_ before transforming back into the yellow triangle.

"About the Power Rangers?" the girl answered Kendall's intended inquiry. "Because I am a Ranger veteran. Emily Suzuki, Samurai Ranger Yellow."

 _ **Wow.**_ If that wasn't shocking, they weren't sure what was. _**(There were other Ranger teams out there? One of which was modeled after Samurai? Riley, of course, seemed unfazed, which surprised his friends a bit.)**_

"Well," Kendall replied, with a little smile, seemingly unfazed by the news as well. "Welcome to the Dino Charge Rangers."

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~

 **Note:** As stated in this chapter, this is an AU stemming from _**"Double Ranger, Double Danger"**_.

A/N: Do review, please. **If you guys have any ideas you want me to consider adding, please PM me.** A preview for the next chapter:

 _ **Chapter 3:**_ _"Truth or Consequences"_

 _"Riley accidentally reveals a terrible secret about the Energems that makes Emily freak out."_


	3. 3: Truth or Consequences

A/N: Hey, guys. This is an idea I've had for quite a while, and I really like it. Keep in mind, however, that this is fanmade and is in no way part of any canon series.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Power Rangers, sadly. Saban does. I just own the story plot.

~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~

 _"Riley accidentally reveals a terrible secret about the Energems that makes Emily freak out."_

 **Power Rangers:** _ **Dino Charge**_

 **Episode 1:** The Dino-Charged Samurai

 _ **Chapter 3:**_ _Truth or Conseqences_

"So, let me get this straight," Emily said. "I have bonded with the Aqua Energem, giving me a power upgrade and making me the Aqua Dino Charge Ranger, my zord being modeled after an ankylosaurus, and my weapon is a hammer?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Riley replied.

The two friends were taking a stroll through the closed museum. Riley was showing her around so she could get a better feel of what it was like living and working here.

"And you are the Green Ranger, zord modeled after a...?"

"Velociraptor."

"Right. And _**you**_ guys are able to morph and attack with, uh...?"

"Dino Chargers."

"Thank you. Just checking. Now, Mr. Red is-?"

" _ **Tyler Navarro.**_ Kinda hyper, loves to take selfies with dinosaur fossils, but always loyal and knows when to get serious. His zord is the mighty tyrannosaurus-rex."

Emily smiled when Riley mentioned the _**'selfie'**_ part, but she continued her quest to know her new team better. "Miss Pink?"

" _ **Shelby Watkins.**_ Smart and has powerful kicks. Complains quite a bit, but a great addition to the team. Her zord and favorite dinosaur is the triceratops."

"Do, uh, she and Tyler have a thing going on? 'Cause it looks like they do."

Riley chuckled. "Umm, not really, but they do like each other. A lot."

Emily gently laughed with him. "Mr. Black?"

" _ **Chase Randall.**_ laid back, easily distracted, and a big flirt with the ladies. But, he never misses a single shot, and you can always count on him to have your back. His zord is the parasaurolophus."

"You sound like you've fought with him before."

"I have. He's irritating, but he means well."

"I'll keep that in mind. Mr. Blue?"

" _ **Koda.**_ Caveman and is 100,000 years old. Loves food and has trouble with modern things, but very strong and has a heart of gold. His zord is the stegosaurus."

"Caveman? Really?"

"Yep."

"How? I-Is it magic, or-?"

"No, it's the Energems."

"What?"

"Once you bond to an Energem, you stop aging."

"Oh..."

After a beat of silence, he became concerned, "Something wrong?"

"No, not really. It's just that you probably should have mentioned the fact that I was _**immortal**_ now earlier."

"Oh, sorry about that," and Riley was sincere. They should have mentioned that earlier. It was probably a huge blow to her, even though she wasn't showing her surprise _**(he could read her like an open book)**_. "This must all be a big surprise for you. I know because I felt the same way."

"When you became the Green Ranger?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you _**tell**_ me that you were the Green Ranger?" She quietly asked him. There was that same voice of sadness _**(with a hint of betrayal)**_ from before. "I told you my secret."

"Yours was about your _**family**_ ," Riley honestly replied. "I couldn't because I only found out recently."

"Being a Ranger is dangerous," she stated.

"I know," was his reply. "Sledge is after the Energems, and we _**know**_ that he'll do _**anything**_ to get them."

"Master Xandred was handicapped, but he almost _**killed**_ Jayden," she returned. "I can take care of myself. It's you I'm worried out."

Riley placed both his hands on her shoulders and pulled into a hug, which she quickly returned. "I'll be fine. We'll protect each other, like when we were kids. Remember?"

Emily gently smiled. "Yeah, I remember. It'll be just like old times, only this time it's us, plus your friends."

"My friends?"

"Your teammates," Emily motioned to Tyler, Shelby, Chase, and Koda _**(off to the side, still cleaning up)**_. "They're obviously important to you, and any friend of Riley's is a friend of mine."

A big smile broke out across his face.

Off to the side, Riley's teammates stood there, watching the two Southerners interact, unable to prevent themselves from hearing bits and pieces of their conversation.

Upon seeing Riley smile, they couldn't stop themselves from showing off their own grins.

"I like seeing Riley smile," Shelby confessed. "It means he's content, that he trusts the person he's with."

"That being said, he seems to smile _**a lot**_ around Emily here," Tyler said.

"I guess that's his way of telling _**us**_ that we can trust her," Shelby suggested.

"They're childhood friends, mates," Chase cut in. "Of course, they trust each other. And as _**his**_ friends _**as well**_ , he wants _**us**_ to get along with her, and vice versa."

"Not hard," Koda said with a smile. "She very nice."

"I agree, mate," Chase replied. "At least, nicer than Shelby."

"Hey!" the pink ranger shrieked, as her male teammates chuckled under their breath.

"You think I'm nice _**now**_ , Mr. Randall?" The group's attention was turned to Riley and Emily walking towards them. The blonde continued, "Just wait until I'm on the battlefield. I can teach you a thing or two about martial arts."

"Yeah, seriously, you don't want to get on her bad side," Riley quickly explained. "She once broke a high school senior's nose, when she was in _**7th grade**_."

"Ouch," Tyler commented. "What did _**he**_ do?"

"Actually, it was a _**she**_ ," Emily correted. "And she and her little entourage were badmouthing Riley's precious, loveable dog Rubik."

The others winced, and Riley continued, "You think that's bad? Just imagine what she almost did to them when she found out they were bullying Rubik to get to _**me**_." _**(Riley and Emily were both thankful that he was able to calm Emily down. If he hadn't, who knows where she'd be now?)**_

The group was quiet, before Chase said to Emily, "Remind me to never piss you off."

"Don't worry," Emily quickly reassured them. "I tend to go easy on my friends-"

"Umm..."

Emily let slip a gentle smile. "Knowing Riley, truthfully, he wouldn't trust any of you unless he has a good reason to. Not to mention, it's obvious you guys are very important to each other, and any friend of Riley's is a friend of mine."

" _ **'Mi casa es su casa'**_ ," Tyler commented, understanding what she was saying.

"Yeah, pretty much," Emily replied. "Besides, if we're gonna be teammates, we're gonna have to get along."

"I agree," Tyler immediately added. "We do work _**better together**_ , after all."

~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~T~H~E~~D~I~N~O~C~H~A~R~G~E~D~~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~

 _ **'Better together'**_ , huh? Sounded like something Antonio would say.

These guys immediately rubbed off on her as a tight-knit family. And being part of one herself, consisting entirely of modern-day samurai, Emily just couldn't find herself _**invading**_ this family.

Even if they had already accepted her, they had only met her through Riley. Truthfully, with or without Riley, she still felt that invading them was _**wrong**_.

And not to mention the merely thought of never aging, living on _**without her family**_ scared her.

This was _**all**_ new to her, and it was _**terrifying**_.

She was _**scared**_.

But she couldn't turn to Riley. He didn't need to be bothered by her problems. She couldn't make a bad first impression on his friends. She couldn't let them know that she was _**weak**_ , instead of _**tough**_ , like they thought she was _**(especially after all that talk)**_.

She needed to get out of here.

~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~T~H~E~~D~I~N~O~C~H~A~R~G~E~D~~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~

Emily felt her fists clench at the hem of her aqua cardigan _**(she had started wearing aqua, instead of yellow, after she first bonded with her Energem. She had really taken a liking to this new color)**_. She tried to stop the butterflies in her stomach, but she couldn't. Her nerves were acting up, but she was strong. She was tough. She could hide the pain _**very**_ well. She's had lots of practice, after all.

She put up her smile anyways, desperately hoping Riley couldn't see how fake it was _**(Because he could always read her like an open book)**_.

A phone ringing interrupted the conversation.

She pulled out her Samuraizer when she received weird looks from the others. "Sorry, I gotta take this." She held up her Samuraizer to her ear, greeting the one on the other end, "Hello?" When she heard the reply, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, hey, Mike. Yeah, I'm doing just fine. Yeah, I'm free for lunch. Sure, I'll be right there. Love you, bye."

Emily was finally qable to relax. Mike had given her the perfect excuse to leave these guys alone, to _**their**_ business.

"Who's Mike, if I may ask?"

"My boyfriend," Emily replied. "I'm meeting him for lunch. See ya' later."

As they watched her leave, Shelby patted Chase on the shoulder with a slight smirk, "Told you she had a boyfriend."

"Hey, all I said was that she was _**'cute'**_. How is that considered _**'hitting on her'**_?"

Riley, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about how nervous Emily seemed before the call, and eager to leave after it.

Oh, Emily...always choosing to be strong for others, always choosing to keep her problems to herself.

"I really wish you would quit being so stubborn, Em," Riley muttered.

"Problem, Riley?" Tyler asked.

"Emily. She's always been so stubborn."

"We get that, mate," Chase replied. " _ **Why**_ is she being stubborn?"

"I wish she would have just told me..."

"Riley..." Tyler began, but his green teammate cut him off.

"I can read Emily like an open book, since we've known each other for so long. And yet, she _**never**_ tells me what's going on."

"Maybe if you tell us, we can help," Shelby suggested.

"Alright," Riley reluctantly agreed. "I told her about the Energems having the ability to make us immortal, and she kinda...freaked out a little."

The others paused, thinking about this.

"I guess," Tyler spoke up, "the idea of never aging _**is**_ kinda scary."

"But we family," Koda said. "We stick together."

Shelby, Tyler, and Chase smiled back at him, but Riley didn't, "Not in Emily's eyes. at least, not for her."

"What?" Shelby asked. "Are you saying she feels left out?"

"No, quite the opposite," Riley quickly explained. "I'm saying that even though we've accepted her with open arms, she's leaving _**herself**_ out, so she doesn't interfere with our team dynamic."

~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~T~H~E~~D~I~N~O~C~H~A~R~G~E~D~~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~

"So _**that**_ explains why you found it in a dinosaur fossil," Mia said.

Mike has surprised her by inviting the others to have lunch with them, giving Emily the perfect opportunity to give them the results of her research.

Emily nodded, "Yeah, and it _**was**_ an ankylosaurus, Antonio."

"It was?" Antonio asked. Emily nodded. "That's good to know. Well, it all adds up to now. How do you feel?"

"Other than the fact that I have an entirely new set of Ranger powers, I feel the same as I always have."

"Ha ha," Jayden sarcastically replied, the others _**(especially Mike)**_ feel the same way. "And without the sarcasm?"

"Pretty scared, actually," Emily dropped all tones of teasing and sarcasm. She was completely serious.

Mike almost rolled his eyes. Instead, he smiled and gave her a much-needed back rub. "Don't worry about us, Em."

"Yeah, we'll be just fine," Kevin agreed. " _ **'Samurai Forever'**_ means _**'always a Samurai'**_ , after all. You'll still be apart of this team."

"I'm not worried about that," began Emily's solemn, short monologue. "I know we'll still see each other. And I'm not afraid of joining them. I'm a little reluctant to invade their tight-knit group, but I'm not afraid."

"Then what is it?" Mike pressed.

Emily took a deep breath and took her time when exhaling.

"Bonding to an Energem...makes you immortal."

Instant silence filled the air. Only Emily dared to break it, despite seeing their stunned faces.

"I'm not alone in that catergory, fortunately, but... _ **you**_ guys are _**not**_ in that group, and _**that**_ is what I'm scared of."

After getting over the initial shock, Mike was the first to speak, "Normally, I would rant and rave, but...I get the feeling this whole bonding thing is permanent."

Emily nodded, "You would be correct. At least, as far as we know."

Mike shrugged and asked the one question on everyone's mind.

"So, what now?"

Emily was quiet for a minute, before replying, "I don't know about you guys, but I'm not going to let this take over and change my life." And the others somehow immediately felt before. "I'm still Emily Suzuki, just a lot more powerful." She put in a gentle smile.

She was relieved when she received six genuine smiles in return.

And she knew they were all okay now, because they all agree on this same thing.

However, the moment was ruined when they heard beeps coming from Emily's pocket. Emily reached into her back pocket and pulled out her new Dino Com.

"I'm here, Kendall."

 _ **"Attack at the city square. The others need you."**_

Emily glanced up at her Samurai family, who merely nodded before Emily turned back to the screen of her Com. "Tell them I'm on my way."

~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~

A/N: Do review, please. **If you guys have any ideas you want me to consider adding, please PM me.** A preview for the next chapter:

 _ **Chapter 4:**_ _"Ankylosaurus, Power Ranger Aqua!"_

 _"Emily's decision is revealed, as is the Dino Charge Aqua Ranger's first battle."_


	4. 4: Ankylosaurus, Power Ranger Aqua!

A/N: Hey, guys. This is an idea I've had for quite a while, and I really like it. Keep in mind, however, that this is fanmade and is in no way part of any canon series.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Power Rangers, sadly. Saban does. I just own the story plot.

~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~

 _"Emily's decision is revealed, as is the Dino Charge Aqua Ranger's first battle."_

 **Power Rangers:** _ **Dino Charge**_

 **Episode 1:** The Dino-Charged Samurai

 _ **Chapter 4:**_ _Ankylosaurus, Power Ranger Aqua!_

Emily stopped on the edge of the battlefield, and looked out over at not only who was fighting who, but also trying to kick her fighting spirit back into gear.

Once she had found it again, she headed into the fight, attacking Vivix left and right with her Saber.

Over to her right, she saw Rangers Red and Pink assist Blue against his group of Vivix. _**(Okay, there were Tyler, Shelby, and Koda. Now where were Chase and Riley?)**_

To her left, she saw Rangers Black and Green helping each other with another group of Vivix. _**(She also noticed they were using each others' Dino Chargers, which was interesting.)**_

As she continued to strike down the foot soldiers from Sledge's Army with her Saber, she had to force her unmorphed form to relax and not waste so much energy being jumpy.

It's okay. She's dealt with a Nighlock army much larger than this. _**(And this Nighlock army had the potential to come back, with a nasty vengeance, for crying out loud!)**_ Besides, her Samurai power, instincts, and experiences combined with the power of her Energem were more than enough to beat these guys. So there was no need to go all Drill Sergeant on them.

If that was true, then why was she so nervous?

Relax, Emily. You can do it. You've done this before. Just shake it off.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard yells _**(the kind one would make if they had just gotten hit and or injured)**_ , and she looked up in time to see her five new teammates de-morph and fall on the ground in front of the general in charge _**(a humanoid lion)**_.

"Now," the lion said _**(Fury, she believed)**_ , "either you Rangers tell me how to charge this Ptera Charger, or I'll take all five of your Energems."

Before they could answer, Emily leapt up and landed between the two sides, facing the enemy.

"Sorry –" Emily apologized.

"You should be!" Fury yelled, cutting her off. "Who are you–?!"

"Not to seem rude, buddy," Emily glared at Fury, "but I wasn't really talking to you."

Fury glared at the newcomer, as she turned to the fallen Rangers.

Emily smiled at them, and said, "What I meant to say was _**'Sorry about the tardiness, guys'**_. Don't worry. I'll take over from here."

"Don't make me ask again, shortie!" Fury pointed his sword at the blonde, who turned her glaze back at him. _**(On the way, her gentle gaze quickly turned into a cold glare.)**_ "Who are you?!"

"Shut up," was all she said to him.

She then backtracked and kneeled beside Tyler.

After helping him sit up, she asked, "Quick question about the Chargers. How do you activate 'em?"

"Click the button on the top," Tyler replied, trying to gather the strength to stand, and hopefully to help Emily fight.

"Huh…that simple?" she asked. Tyler nodded. "Thank you."

Emily stood back up, ready to fight. "Dino Charger, ready!" __She held out her aqua-colored Ankylo Charger and clicked the button. After slipping the Charger into the slot in her morpher, she closed the top and twirled her morpher back up to her face.

" _ **Ankylo Charger, Engage."**_

" _ **Energize, ha!"**_ After spinning the mechanism, she fired her morpher. _**"Unleash the Power!"**_

In a flash of aqua blue, Emily was gone, the Aqua Dino Charge Ranger standing in her place.

The other five Rangers behind her, de-morphed and injured, all got to their feet, finally standing after their horrible fall. They couldn't help but be in awe. They knew Emily was the Aqua Ranger they were searching for, but to actually see her morph _**(and about to fight)**_ was a little breathtaking.

"What?!" Fury yellowed, angry over the sudden turn of events. "You Rangers found another Energem?!"

"That's right," Emily replied. "And this _**'shortie'**_ can take insults any day, but she doesn't take kindly to her friends being attacked."

"You can take insults, huh?" Fury asked. "How about we test that theory? With a duel?"

"Sounds good to me," Emily calmly replied. _**"Ankylosaurus, Power Ranger Aqua!"**_

"I could care less about what color you are," Fury quickly butted in. "All I care about are taking back my Energems and how to charge this Ptera Charger."

Underneath her helmet, Emily rolled her eyes as she unsheathed her Dino Saber and slung it over her shoulder. "Tch, please. There's no way in hell they're gonna tell you anything. And in Keeper's own words, _**'the Energems only belong to those whom they have bonded with'**_. In other words, you don't own the Energems, buddy, and neither does Sledge. We do."

Anger by her words, Fury yelled out, "Enough!" A bolt of lightning shot from his sword when he did _**(which Emily easily blocked with her Saber)**_. "I will get those Energems, Rangers, even if I have to walk over your cold corpses." The five behind Emily shuddered, yet the Samurai remained calm _**(she'd see worse from the Nighlock)**_.

Riley stumbled forward to Emily's side and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Em, remember what I told you. When it comes to the Energems, they're merciless. They don't hold back."

Emily let out one small laugh, before replying, "Clearly, you don't know me as well as I thought you did." When Riley gave her a confused look, she glanced away from him and back to the scene in front of them. "'Giving up' is not in my vocabulary. _En garde_ , Fury. Let's see how tough you really are."

And she charged into the fight, leaving Riley behind to witness how experienced a fighter she really was.

The other four joined Riley in watching Emily fight _**(and it was obvious that she knew how)**_. They watched Emily as she blocked, parried, and counter-attacked Fury's every move. _**(At least, it seemed like she knew what she was doing, because only an expert swordsman would know those moves.)**_

Tyler didn't say it aloud, but he thought that Emily was better at sword-fighting than Riley. _**(Well, it would make sense. Emily was a Ranger veteran. She's bad more experienced than them.)**_

On the other hand, Emily was really, really enjoying the feel of these new powers. Yeah, she loved her Samurai powers, but she loved _**these**_ powers even more.

Fury was, actually, a good swordsman, but since he was so angry, his style lacked a certain…tact or strategy. And she knew why.

Jayden had once explained that being angry caused all other senses and instincts, especially the mind, to dull and shut down. If one attacked in anger, they could easily be defeated. _**(He also added that if the enemy ever attacked in anger, it was something they should take advantage of, which was exactly what Emily was currently doing.)**_

Because Fury was, well, furious _**(as his name suggested)**_ , his moves were sloppy, he wasn't thinking straight, and he appeared to not be able to control his strength or power, to some extent. _**(Despite what she knew the others were thinking, she wasn't that great. She was only winning because of the reason mentioned above. She'd never voice that aloud, though, since Riley would hear her and tell her that she didn't give herself enough credit.)**_

But she could deal with that later. Right now, she had to focus on driving these guys back to their spaceship.

When she separated from Fury for a quick moment _**(and for air)**_ , she took a look at all the Vivix around her, and both she and Fury noticed that the others had morphed and joined the fight _**(probably to deal with the Vivix so Emily wouldn't have to)**_.

Emily smiled underneath her helmet.

Turning back to Fury, she raised her Saber, this time to attack him. He saw her coming, though, and was able to block her. While their swords were pressed together, Fury yelled out to his foot soldiers, "Vivizords, rise!"

As two giant Vivizords took over the area, Emily took notice of Fury and how distracted he was as he belted out orders to what remained of his army.

He was actually in the middle of an order when she landed a solid kick to his chest and sent him flying backwards.

As soon as he landed, he immediately got back to his feet.

"Ugh! You play dirty, Aqua Ranger!"

"So do you," Emily replied, retrieving an Ankylo Charger from her belt buckle. After activating it, she placed it in the slot on her Saber, and waited as it quickly powered up for, hopefully, a final attack.

"You can't defeat me, shortie!" Fury yelled.

Under her helmet, Emily just smirked. "Trust me. That's what they all say right before they bite the dust. _**Power Slash!**_ "

An explosion, caused by an aqua-colored slash, knocked Fury backwards, injuring him.

Emily slowly approached, waiting for him to get back up.

 _ **Wow.**_ She knew her Energem had deep, unimaginable power, but she's _**never**_ been this strong before.

As Tyler's T-Rex Zord handled the Vivizords, Fury noticed her standing there. With all the Vivix gone, and the other Rangers watching, Fury finally decided to see if insults really didn't work on her.

"You going to finish me off while I'm down and injured?" Fury taunted. "Like a monster?"

"You mean, like you?" _**Damn.**_ She was right. She was unfazed (but that was still a low blow). "No, I'm just waiting for something."

"What do you want?" Fury growled out, angry over the fact that he was losing.

"The Ptera Charger," was Emily's answer, which caught his attention quickly. "Every good warrior knows that a _**duel**_ means a _**fight to the death**_. If you hand over the Ptera Charger, I'll call off the duel and let you live." _**(Because one more strike and Fury was a goner. Both knew that.)**_

Fury deeply pondered over his choices: his life _**(with which she he faced an angry Sledge)**_ or the Ptera Charger _**(which which he faced an ongoing duel against someone who actually had the potential to defeat him)**_?

"Nice try, Aqua Ranger!" Fury laughed, as if he knew something she didn't. "As if I'd give up the Ptera Charger so easily! Later, Rangers!"

All six Rangers watched Fury fly his pod back to Sledge's ship.

In silence, Emily turned around to face her five morphed teammates behind her. "I'll get the Ptera Charger back, guys. I promise."

Tyler quickly shrugged it off. "We're the ones who let it get stolen in the first place. You had nothing to do it."

"It belongs to a Ranger that will be a part of a team we're all on," Emily replied. "Besides, technically, the duel is still ongoing. Fury never called it off, and neither did I. I offered it, but he didn't accept it. And to be honest, I really only accepted his challenge to get back the Charger. Kendall said we had to, but she never really said how."

A loud crash sounded above, and all six Rangers look to the T-Rex Zord struggling against the remaining Vivizord.

"Oh, crap," Tyler muttered. "Rexy needs help."

"We're on it, Tyler," Shelby said, but Emily stopped her before she could pull out her last Charger. "Huh?"

"Wait, allow me," Emily explained, pulling out a second Charger from her belt buckle. "Dino Charger, ready! _**Summon Ankylo Zord!**_ "

This was the perfect opportunity to meet and test out her zord.

Pretty soon, a giant, aqua-colored, mechanical ankylosaurus had arrived on the scene, using its hammer-tail to bop the Vivizord on the head. The action allowed the T-Rex Zord to untangle himself from the struggle.

"Thanks, Emily," Tyler said.

"No problem," was Emily's response. "Wow. That's Ankylo?"

Shelby placed both hands on Emily's shoulders. "Yep, and she's all yours," she said, Ankylo roaring from above.

"Thank you, guys, for taking care of her for me," Emily expressed her gratitude. "Now, let's return the favor. Ankylo, _**Hammer Punch**_ , now!"

Ankylo roared before lifting its tail for a final attack. The Vivizord received a nasty blow to the head, before it exploded, leaving behind only Rexy and Ankylo.

Around Emily, the others celebrated, and she smiled because of it.

" _Monster, extinct_!" Tyler announced.

And, right then, Emily knew they had succeeded in, at least, keeping the city safe.

 _ **~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~T~H~E~~D~I~N~O~C~H~A~R~G~E~D~~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~**_

"I miss her already," Mike commented, as the six remaining Samurai watched Emily leave the battlefield with her new teammates.

"We all do," Mia told him. "And maybe Lauren's right. Maybe Emily joining that team is the best thing for her."

"I know," Mike replied. He was actually being really mature about this. "It still doesn't change how I feel about her, though. I will always love her."

As Mia wrapped her green teammate in a hug, Lauren spoke up, "She'll be fine. She won't forget us. She still thinks of us as her family, after all."

The others nodded in agreement. Lauren was right, and they would still get to see Emily, just not as often as they'd like.

"In the meantime," Lauren continued, "there's a chance the Nighlock could rise again. We've already reunited, so why don't we stay that way for a while longer?"

She didn't receive any complaints or objections in response.

 _ **~P~O~W~E~R~~R~A~N~G~E~R~S~~T~H~E~~D~I~N~O~C~H~A~R~G~E~D~~S~A~M~U~R~A~I~**_

"So, when we're not saving the word or out finding lost Energems," Emily slowly said, "we're here, in this café, serving people lunch."

"Pretty much," Shelby replied. "Or, at least, _**we**_ are." She pointed at both her and Emily, the only Rangers currently in the empty café. "The guys…usually help out at the café, but they also get to go on digs and other cool stuff."

As the two entered the kitchen, Emily decided to use her optimism to cheer Shelby up. "Well, this isn't so bad."

"You're right," Shelby agreed. "I mean, it is nice to have another girl on the team, one that I can talk to. I mean, Miss Morgan is okay, but she's also out boss. You know?"

"Yeah, I know."

Shelby smiled back before pausing, pondering over what Riley told them earlier, about Emily excluding herself so she wouldn't mess up their group dynamic.

"You know, if you really want to be out friend," she began, "no one's stopping you, except for yourself."

Emily was quiet for a minute before cracking a little smile. "Riley told you, didn't he?"

Shelby nodded. "Yeah. And over time, I've learned that the friends that break your confidence in them just to help you are the real _**'true friends'**_. Those are the friends you need to hang on to."

"I know," Emily repeated, with a gentle smile. "I mean, I don't keep riley around just because we're so alike. He's my friend because he's also one of my greatest allies, one I know I can depend on, but I'd prefer if you guys get to know me as _**me**_ , not really as _**Riley's friend**_."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Shelby replied. "We've already determined that you are very nice and very friendly. That part will be easy."

Emily's smile grew wider, before it faded as she thought of something else.

"Is it wrong to admit that I had a dream about you before I even knew who you were?" She quietly asked.

"It depends," the other female answered. "What was it about?"

"It wasn't sexual, if that's what you're thinking. It was about the Ankylo Zord."

And Shelby was immediately quiet. "Tell me everything."

"Alright, so a couple of weeks ago, I fell ill, and I mean _**really**_ ill. The most notable symptoms I had were a massive headache and a really sharp pain in my neck. Neither would do away, no matter what I did, and they were too disruptive to ignore. I also had various hallucinations that day, and I could barely sleep that night. The next day, the visions began to clear up, and they showed me the Ankylo Zord, in pain and one visions even showed me Ankylo attacked five teenagers…you guys."

" _ **It's the Ankylo Zord!"**_

 _ **The said zord roared loudly from above.**_

" _ **That is one angry zord."**_

"No one knew what was going in," Emily continued. "It had happened so suddenly. Everyone at home thought I had finally contracted my older sister Serena's terminal illness for myself. She had started out with similar symptoms. However, that second afternoon, I was finally able to go to sleep, and being confined to bed both days, but unable to sleep, that's saying a lot. Anyways, while I'm asleep, I have this dream. I still have my headache and neck pain in this dream, but I'm not myself. I'm –"

"Hey, ladies," Tyler suddenly interrupted, walking into the café kitchen with Chase, riley, and Koda. "Ready for the dinner rush?"

"Get out!" The guys stumbled back in fright as Shelby shrieked at them.

"What?" Chase asked, all four guys afraid and confused.

"Emily was in the middle of a really good story, real life, and you interrupted her," Shelby ranted.

However, Emily merely placed a hand on the Pink Ranger's shoulder to calm her down. The effect was immediate.

"It's okay, Shel," Emily quickly said. "I don't really feel like starting over anyways. If they don't understand, that's they're problem."

"Sounds good to me," Shelby agreed. "Continue, please."

"Alright. Anyways, I wasn't in my own body. I was in Ankylo's. I'm in a cave, dark and cold, with only one small light at the other end, due to a hole that Ankylo made earlier that morning, and my headache and neck pain are the same as when I was awake. But then…Shelby arrives. She's falling down the hole, and I want to catch her, but this dark voice tells me I shouldn't. So I don't. But it turns out, I didn't have to anyways, because Shelby morphs and lands safely. She doesn't see me at first, but once she does, I can't help but feel threatened. It pains me to growl at her like I did, but I don't back down. Shelby's scared, and I can understand. At this point, I'm scared of myself. I don't know what's happened to me. I've never been so angry and I'm usually very calm. Shelby begins to list off common characteristics of an ankylosaurus, hoping that will calm me down. But it doesn't."

" _ **Hello, Ankylo Zord…heh…you're vegetarian, remember?"**_

"Shelby continues to try and convince me with her words, but nothing's working. She's gonna have to resort to more drastic measures, but she doesn't, because she's afraid to hurt me. Only when she says _**'You're one of us. We are your family, now'**_ , I immediately calm down, long enough for her to pull a stinger out of my neck. As soon as she does, all the pain is gone. I try to apologize, and even though all Shelby hears is a pathetic-sounding roar, she understands, and she forgives me."

By the time Emily was done, the four guys had fallen silent and had gathered around the two girls to hear Emily's story.

It's so _**freaky**_. To Shelby, Emily had told an exact account of what happened in that cave. Word for word, detail by detail, emotion by emotion. To the guys, Emily had just given an insight on what Shelby did in the cave with the Ankylo Zord, but she had also given them reason to believe that they are truly connected with their zords.

"And that's why I was so attracted to Shelby's Energem when I first got here," Emily explained. "Seeing it reminded me of that dream. That's also when I realized that it wasn't a dream. It was real life. So, thank you, Shelby." She held out her arms for a hug.

Shelby accepted her offer with a smile. "You're welcome."

Once they broke apart, Emily turned to Riley, also offering him a hug. "And thank you, Riley."

"Uhh…what did I do?" He asked.

"For being a true friend," was her answer.

With that, he also accepted her hug, only breaking apart when Kendall cleared her throat.

"Everything alright in here?" She asked.

"Yeah," Tyler replied. "We're just bonding."

"You can do that later," Kendall motioned toward the café entrance, where the first customers were just arriving. "Dinner rush is starting."

And as the group scrambled to prepare themselves, Emily knew she would be okay now.

After all, she was part of an immortal team now. She'd never be alone.

~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~PRLG~

A/N: Do review, please. **If you guys have any ideas you want me to consider adding, please PM me.** A preview for the next story:

 _ **Episode 2:**_ _"Lost and Found"_

 _"Emily faces new challenges as a Dino Charge Ranger as she helps the team locate the Gold Energem."_


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